Safety

Please remember Lye;

• can burn severely if it comes into contact with skin and even cause blindness on contact with eyes. Swallowing it could possibly be fatal

• is so caustic that it can eat through some materials and react chemically with others, it

creates heat when mixed with water and can become explosive when in contact with certain metals

It is essential that you devise safety rules for your particular circumstances, facilities and location, and also strictly observe them. Some ideas are given below to, hopefully, help you devise your own.

Be prepared to seek medical advice if there is bodily contact with lye.

All soap making ingredients should be stored safely in appropriate containers in a locked facility. They should only be removed for soap-making activity and then immediately returned to their safe location, after use. Access to the locked area should be controlled and restricted to responsible adults. The equipment, once having been contaminated, should also be kept separate and solely used for soap making.

Children, vulnerable adults and pet animals all require close supervision so, you should do your soap making when none are present. A distraction could easily lead to an accident so is always best avoided.

You should also not forget your own personal safety so firstly, an uncluttered and safe work area needs to be prepared. All the ingredients and equipment should be well laid out, near to hand and ready for use. Next comes your protective kit.

Goggles must be worn (and be large enough to cover spectacles, if necessary) but also close fitting so that no splashes can get in. Some folk also add a full face visor for extra protection.

Long sleeves to cover the arms, Long gloves for the hands and wrists and long trousers together with socks and closed footwear to cover up any exposed skin.

Maybe an apron and/or a lab coat and a dust mask too, if powder is being used.

The work space should be well ventilated during the mixing of the lye, because of the harmful fumes produced. This ideally should be done outside and always, the lye should be poured into the water, never the other way round, thus reducing splashing risks.

You may briefly look like an astronaut but who cares. Don’t be scared, just be careful and always seek the advice of qualified professionals.

So … using reasonable care and common sense makes it fun.